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PolitiFact changes Rubio ruling to 'Half True'

By Dylan Byers

02/27/12 12:10 PM EST

Two weeks after MSNBC's Rachel Maddow slammed PolitiFact for its ruling on a statement made by Marco Rubio, the Tampa Bay Times fact-checking group has changed its ruling from "Mostly True" to "Half True."

"An analysis of this claim by U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., was published on Feb. 14, 2012. After it appeared, we heard from many readers who argued that our rating of Mostly True was the wrong call," the editors wrote in a note that now leads the article. "The debate centered on whether to judge Rubio on his literal statement or the underlying point. We try to balance that question in many of our rulings. Upon further discussion, and bolstered by more reporting, we have decided to change this ruling to Half True."

Earlier this month, Rubio said that the majority of Americans were conservatives. As Maddow pointed out in her stinging attack on PolitiFact, that was not true: In fact, less than 50 percent of Americans consider themselves conservative.

Following Maddow's criticism, PolitiFact editor Bill Adair defended the initial ruling, arguing that "while the number was short of a majority, it was still a plurality. Forty percent of Americans consider themselves conservative, 35 percent moderate and 21 percent liberal. It wasn't quite a majority, but was close."

Now PolitiFact has gone back and found that Rubio was "incorrect" according to two polls and "correct" according to one. By that measure, plus "support for his underlying point that there are more conservatives than liberals," PolitiFact ruled the statement "Half True."

I asked Adair today if Maddow's critique had anything to do with PolitiFact's decision to change its ruling.

"We heard from a lot of readers and got more information that made us go back and examine it again," he wrote in an email.

Knowing Maddow, PolitiFact's change won't be enough to satisfy her. Last month, PolitiFact changed its ruling on an Obama statement about job creation from "Half True" to "Mostly True," which only made Maddow more upset. As Maddow saw it, Obama's statement was true" -- not "Half True" or "Mostly True," but "True."

The same logic applies here: Rubio's statement was false -- not "Mostly False" or "Half False," just "False." So I'd venture to guess it's "Mostly Likely" that Maddow will bring this up on her show tonight.